In response to modem technological advances and varying needs to protect property, combat crime, and otherwise monitor events and locations, advanced surveillance systems comprising multiple security cameras are now common in many banks, department stores, jewelry stores, shopping malls, schools, casinos and other gaming establishments. Such systems are frequently used to monitor various areas in a place of business, such as, for example, cashier windows, doorways, hallways, back rooms, valuable displays, and in the case of a casino or other gaming establishment, gaming tables and machines. The number of cameras that might be employed in a particular system has steadily increased over time as the expense of surveillance equipment has decreased and the demand for better security has increased. In some instances, such as in casinos and other gaming establishments, for example, it is not uncommon for hundreds or even thousands of cameras and dozens or hundreds of associated monitors to be in use.
In fact, because casinos and other forms of gaming comprise a growing multi-billion dollar industry wherein large sums of money can quickly change hands during many types of fast paced games, casinos and other gaming establishments are a prime target for cheating and stealing, and thus a prime candidate for relatively large and complex security and/or surveillance systems. Because casinos and other gaming establishments in particular frequently utilize systems that employ a relatively large number of surveillance cameras, casino surveillance systems comprise an ideal illustrative example for the types of security systems and security camera interfaces discussed herein. Thus, although the following discussion and illustrative examples are directed primarily to casino security systems as a matter of convenience, it should be borne in mind that such security and surveillance systems are readily applicable to other types of establishments and venues.
Apparatuses and methods for utilizing surveillance systems in secured or surveyed locations, such as in a casino or gaming establishment, are generally well known, and instances of such apparatuses and methods can be found in, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,111,288; 5,258,837; 5,872,594; and 6,166,763, all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Cameras utilized within such security or surveillance systems provide a live and/or taped video signal that security personnel can closely examine, typically within a security room or control room capable of accommodating several surveillance operators and dozens or even hundreds of monitors. In such surveillance systems, surveillance operators are typically required to use manual joystick and/or keyboard type controls to effect any desired pan and tilt movements, as well as any zoom, focus and iris functions of various controllable cameras. In addition to controllable cameras, many surveillance systems also tend to include fixed cameras, such as those directed toward specific doors, hallways, tables, displays, backrooms, cashiers, gaming machines and the like.
Because the typical surveillance system has fewer monitors than cameras, and fewer operators than monitors, however, many views and potential views being observed by cameras are not monitored and/or recorded. For example, there may be cameras in locations that are normally not occupied, such as in a money counting room, or in locations that do not require constant vigilant surveillance, such as the floor space directly in front of a particular gaming machine. In these or similar locations of lowered priority, it is typical for camera views of these locations not to command a presence on one of the limited number of monitors in the control room, except during routine surveillance reviews and/or actual “security events.” Such a security event may involve the triggering of a related alarm, the entry of an individual into the view or related room, or any number of other designated occurrences. In addition, many cameras are assigned to multiple areas or views, such that it is not possible for such a camera to monitor or record every such view at all times.
Surveillance operators are often required to examine or monitor a substantial number of camera views or areas manually on a periodic basis, but high workloads and the substantial number of views required can render such a task as difficult or impossible even for a proficient operator. In fact, such a failure to see all things at all times is not surprising given that many surveillance control rooms are sometimes manned by only one or two operators, who are nevertheless still responsible for hundreds or even thousands of camera views. Such review duties are further compromised by actual security events or alarms, whereby one or more operators abandon any normal surveying activities to respond to the security event. During such a security event, one or more surveillance operators must typically, within a very short period of time, be able to: locate the security event; determine which camera or cameras are best able to monitor and/or record the security event; bring up a selected view from a utilized camera on a monitor; pan, zoom, focus and otherwise adjust the selected camera or cameras; monitor the selected view from the selected camera; and notify casino personnel and/or local authorities if necessary. Yet, if the foregoing security event is to be recorded, it is frequently up to the operator also to record the event despite all of the other necessary steps.
As such, when asked or prompted to view a specific area or camera view not routinely viewed, a surveillance operator may experience difficulty or delay in locating the area, identifying the appropriate camera, maneuvering the camera, bringing up the view on a monitor, and/or affirmatively recording a security event occurring within that specific area or camera view. This can result in a situation wherein some or all of the critical activity within the security event may not be viewed and/or recorded by the surveillance system. Because an eyewitness account of a security event may be necessary in many cases, and because recorded video footage of such an event can be even more useful than such an eyewitness account, any loss of video coverage is highly undesirable.
Another concern of surveillance operators involves the need for returning a recently controlled camera to its original state, which can be a static view of a set location or a scrolling view of an area. Due to the many duties of a surveillance operator, as partially detailed above, the task of returning a previously used camera to its original state is one that might not be immediately accomplished after a camera has been manually removed from its original state. Cameras may consequently be left in ineffective or non-optimal positions, such that information can be lost until the camera position is corrected, or worse, such that additional time may be lost in locating and adjusting that camera in response to a subsequent security event.
Current methods of manual video monitoring and/or recording also have other drawbacks, in that such methods can be labor intensive, and thus costly, and can also introduce a wide variety of human-related errors, such as inattentiveness, slowness, and the inherent inability to see and process all things at all times. While some advances have been made in the field of automated video surveillance, such as those disclosed in the references listed above, such systems can be unreliable and still tend to require a high degree of manual intervention.
In addition, any actual recordings of security events tend to be stored on tape or digital media in a manner that is not easily retrievable, which can pose additional problems and inconveniences for the recording establishment, its security personnel, law enforcement personnel, and the like. When a user wishes to view a particular recorded security event, for example, it is common for that user, among other steps, to have to go find which particular camera recorded the event, determine which tape or archive for that camera actually has the recorded security event of interest, and then rewind or fast forward the tape, or otherwise determine exactly where the recorded event of interest begins. Such retrieval techniques can be very inconvenient and time consuming, especially when multiple views or security events are involved. Accordingly, there exists a need for an improved method and system for providing automated video surveillance and recording of security events, and in particular for such an method and system to provide better ways of storing and retrieving recorded video and other data.